There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them (Luke 15:11-12).

The younger son went to the father and asked for his share of the property that he was entitled to as his son. With what he received, he decided to go to a far country where he would be free from the law, and the supervision of the father would not reach. In other words, he wanted to live according to his own ideas and principles by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living (v. 13).

So he did. But the moment he did, the riches of the grace of his father, which he used to receive as the fulfillment of his word, disappeared.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything (vv. 14-16).

He was no longer living as the son of his father with all rights he once had, but was made to work as a slave under the ownership of a foreign master—no mercy, no grace—the state of death as expressed later by the father.

When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men (vv. 17-19).”

This should be compared with the attitude he had at the beginning: he did not want to obey his father, but demanded to receive his share of the estate as his son. After he lost everything, he decided to work as one of his hired men, which indicates that he was ready to obey the command of his father.

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (v. 20).

There is no description of how the son reacted to these actions of his father who was always watching to accomplish what he desired, and to fulfill his word.

The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son (v. 21).”

As he was about to say, “make me like one of your hired men,” the father turned to his servants and said to them:

“Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate (vv. 22-24).”

The father said, and his word was fulfilled. The moment this son returned to the father, the fulfillment of the father’s word returned.